A UK-based Ghanaian, Ade Sawyerr, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to encourage his ministers to spend more time engaging with their constituents rather than attending social events.
Speaking during a town hall meeting with President Mahama in London on Sunday, May 31, Mr. Sawyerr expressed concern over what he described as the increasing visibility of ministers at social gatherings, arguing that such appearances create the impression that government officials are disconnected from the needs of ordinary Ghanaians.
He urged the President to impress upon his ministers the need to dedicate weekends to interacting directly with the people they serve.
“Every weekend, we see on TikTok the ministers at parties instead of being with their constituents. They are talking to each other, blowing time. It does not look good, Mr. President. Please tell them that at weekends, they should go back to their constituents and find out what it is that the people of Ghana need,” he said.
Mr. Sawyerr acknowledged the positive economic indicators highlighted by some government officials but noted that public perception of their activities remains a concern.
He also commended the Ghana High Commission in the United Kingdom for organising the engagement, which gave members of the Ghanaian community an opportunity to interact directly with the President.
“I’ve listened to some of the ministers, and whilst it looks like the metrics are going in the right direction, the optics do not look very good,” he said.
Touching on national challenges, Mr. Sawyerr cited the persistent flooding problem in Accra as an issue requiring greater attention from government officials.
“Every year, there’s perennial flooding. We have not been able to solve that problem in the city of Accra, our main city,” he stated.
The comments were made during a question-and-answer session at the town hall meeting, where members of the Ghanaian diaspora shared concerns and suggestions on governance, development, and the country’s future direction.
